Reading Envy 181: An Awkward Woman with Yanira Ramirez

Yanira is back and we are talking reading goals, especially the classics, and reading our backlists. We talk about books we've read and liked recently, with a brief interlude tribute to interlibrary loan. Make sure to check out Yanira's previous appearances on the podcast, since this is number five.

Download or listen via this link: Reading Envy 181: An Awkward Woman with Yanira.

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Books discussed:



Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Planetfall by Emma Newman
Anti-Social by Andrew Marantz
Tracks by Louise Erdrich
Incidental Inventions by Elena Ferrante


Other mentions:

#erdrichmedicinereadalong sponsored by @erins_library and @thunderbirdwomanreads in Instagram
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
After Atlas by Emma Newman
Four Souls by Louise Erdrich
Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner


Related episodes:

Episode 070 - Words Like Weapons with Yanira Ramirez
Episode 096 - Not Without Hope with Yanira Ramirez
Episode 108 - Venn Diagram with Yanira Ramirez 
Episode 127 - The Sadness Between Books with Bianca Escalante 
Episode 141 - Profound and Tedious Work with Yanira Ramirez


Stalk us online:

Yanira at Goodreads
Jenny at Goodreads
Jenny on Twitter
Jenny is @readingenvy on Instagram and Litsy

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

The Round House by Louise Erdrich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was in a rush to finish this tonight before the National Book Award winner was announced, and I got to the last page right as the ceremony was starting. It ended up winning this year's award, so I'm glad I chose this novel to read over the other two I didn't get to.

In an Ojibwe community, a mother is brutally raped. The novel is told from her son's perspective as their family tries to heal and they attempt to catch who did this horrible thing. Most of it is told in the time of the story, but occasionally the son steps back and sprinkles in details of things that happen in his adult life, such as his marriage and his career. You know his friend doesn't last into his adulthood before you know how or why he dies.

Overall, I feel this novel suffers a bit in its storytelling techniques. The story goes along rapidly, very action focused, until around page 115 where you take a side trip to one person's background story. This happens a few more times, but not often enough for it to flow easily in and out the narrative. They serve a specific purpose to give the son details he needs, but I felt they were a little forced. The novel also reads so easily that it is almost to its detriment. I fear I may not remember it for very long.

There are a lot of surrounding issues - Native American vs. American law, jurisdiction issues, poverty, inequality, etc. The author knows them well. I would like to read more of her books, and plan to next year when I do the Around the USA in 52 Books challenge.